Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki killed

Sanaa: As per an official statement released by the Yemeni government, U.S.-born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed. He was targeted and killed near the town of Khashef which is 150 km east of the capital in the Province of al-Jawf.

The statement says the operation was launched on Friday around 9-55 a.m. local time. The government refuses to give any other details of their operation.The 40-year-old al-Awlaki is believed to have inspired and even plotted or helped coordinate some of the recent attacks on the U S, including the failed Christmas Day 2009 bombing of an airliner heading for Detroit, Michigan, and the also unsuccessful plot to send mail bombs on planes from Yemen to the United States in October.

The American-born son of Yemeni parents rose to prominence as al-Qaeda’s English-speaking voice and electronic messenger, spreading its terrorist credo via a blog, social media posts and email exchanges with such people as the U.S. Army major accused of a murderous shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

The Pakistani-American man who pleaded guilty to the May 2010 Times Square failed car bombing attempt told interrogators he was “inspired” by al-Awlaki after making contact over the Internet. Al-Awlaki was further believed to have had a hand in mail bombs addressed to Chicago-area synagogues, packages intercepted in Dubai and Europe in October 2010.

Yemen had in the past reported the deaths of al-Qaeda leaders who were later found to be alive. Al-Awlaki was last reported to have been killed in December 2009. Al-Awlaki is on a US kill-or-capture list and is accused by Washington of inspiring several attacks in the United States.